La libreta
Alexandra Archuleta,
Contributor
September 20, 2017
Cuban, government-owned supermarkets, otherwise known as bodegas, have been controlled by the Cuban government since Fidel Castro implemented a rations system in 1962. From Castro’s regime to present day, families are required to bring their state-issued ration book, known as la libreta, each time they...
Modification of old cars in Cuba
Peter Wang,
Contributor
August 29, 2017
Watching the movie “Fast and Furious 8” was an amazing experience that bonded me with Cuba. As a petrol head, illegal street racing scene in the movies can always touch my heart, while this time it blew my mind by showing 1949 Chevrolets Fleetlin race 1956 Ford Crown Victoria on the ramshackle, h...
Everyday life in Cuba is simpler than you imagine
Stephanie Maniche,
Contributor
August 29, 2017
It is always interesting when traveling abroad to experience that first reality check, which confirms you are not home. Today, in Havana, Cuba it is expected you will see cars from the 1950s, a not-so-modern airport, and experience weather in the triple digits always accompanied by humidity. What wasn’t expe...
A walk through Caibarién in my grandfather’s shoes
Daniel Arevalo,
Contributor
August 29, 2017
On Jan. 28, 1962, Juan Francisco Luna, or “Illo,” pronounced ee-yo, left his home at 3 a.m. towards the Atlantic Ocean just two blocks from his doorstep in Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba. From a "chapín," or rowboat, to a sailboat, to a fishing boat, there were a total of 14 refugees on board, just 9...
“Patria o muerte:” Anti-colonial history and Cuba’s place in Latin America
Cristian Sanchez,
Contributor
August 28, 2017
In a forest of banner-less flagpoles, there stands a wall, a wall that boldly displays three simple yet powerful words in bright red: “¡Patria o muerte!” Even more curious than its placement amongst the aforementioned flagpoles, however, is what building this wall is directly facing. Head past t...
Stephanie Maniche
Stephanie Maniche,
Contributor
August 27, 2017
Reality check After deplaning at Havana Airport and going through security, it still had not sunk in that I was in Cuba. The humidity, intense heat and the accents were not enough to confirm that I had reached my destination. I didn’t know that in just a few moments, I would encounter my reality...
Mitch Scorza
Mitch Scorza,
Contributor
August 27, 2017
Salternative facts iAy que rico y sabor! Allow me to explain; in Latin American countries, this is a compliment mostly aimed at the food or “la comida.” In Cuba, the food has a bounty of flavor, but the phrase is not meant to describe only the food. This phrase is meant to showcase a lifes...
Donnisha Brown
Donnisha Brown,
Contributor
August 27, 2017
A Cuban is a Cuban In the United States, there are African Americans, Chinese Americans, Mexican Americans and many more Americans. Although it is not directly defined by race, wealth, livelihood and overall quality of life is differentiated culture to culture, neighborhood to neighborhood. In Hav...
Daisy Ortiz
Daisy Ortiz,
Spanish Editor
August 23, 2017
Small business, big surprise Havana is a mix between gray and white. I say gray because unfortunately for some and a blessing for others, even the best parts of Havana aren’t what you would see in the United States. Many of the hotels are built in the middle of run-down buildings in which people...
Communism, bad for whom?
Stephanie Maniche,
Contributor
August 23, 2017
Growing up, I always associated communism with being a bad thing and capitalism as being great. Sometimes in life, we just accept what we’re told if enough people are saying the same thing until we dig a bit deeper to find out for ourselves why we believe it.Today I question if the definitions ar...
Alexandra Archuleta
Alexandra Archuleta,
Contributor
August 23, 2017
Life in the slow lane Life for the socialist citizens of Havana, Cuba moves at a different pace. In the land of 1950s vintage cars, slow internet, and even slower hospitality, it’s more than apparent that the people of Havana are on island time. As my fourth day in Havana comes to a close, I can...
Cal State Cuba: Students make trek from Hayward to Havana this summer
Stephen Freitas,
Contributor
May 24, 2017
On June 30, approximately 25 Cal State East Bay students — including myself — will fly from Los Angeles to Havana, Cuba, where we will take classes in documentary film and photojournalism, and produce our own films, long-form articles and photo essays as part of a new study abroad program create...
